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Trial On Partisan Gerrymandering Concludes In North Carolina
A trial has wrapped up in a North Carolina courtroom where election advocacy groups and Democrats asked judges to throw out the state's congressional districts drawn by Republicans for what they label illegal partisan gerrymandering.
A three-judge panel heard four days of testimony and arguments that ended Thursday. The judges didn't immediately rule.
Senate Panel Votes For Nominee Opposed By Black Lawmakers
The Senate Judiciary Committee has narrowly voted for the nomination of a North Carolina attorney to fill the nation's longest judicial vacancy.
Thomas Farr's nomination is opposed by black lawmakers and some civil rights groups. The committee voted 11-9 Thursday to recommend the nomination to the full Senate.
If confirmed, he'll serve on the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of North Carolina, a post vacant since 2005.
High Point OKs “Plan B” For Stadium Funding
The High Point City Council has approved a “Plan B” for building a baseball stadium.
The News and Record of Greensboro reports the alternate proposal is similar to “Plan A,” which allows the city to borrow between $30 and $35 million to build the stadium.
The main difference is that “Plan B” calls for High Point alone to repay the debt, without help from Guilford County. Officials say it would take a decade or so longer to pay off the loan.
City leaders are still holding out hope for “Plan A,” which would involve financial assistance from the county.
Guilford County Commissioners have been reluctant to sign on.
The stadium would be the anchor of a $200-million economic redevelopment plan for downtown.
4 North Carolina Regions Enter Running For Amazon's HQ2
North Carolina's three largest metropolitan areas and Hickory are chasing the huge job and investment that would go along with becoming hometown to Amazon's second headquarters.
All four regions submitted formal bids for the $5 billion project and its possible 50,000 jobs before Thursday's deadline.
State officials say the Charlotte, Raleigh and Greensboro regions all submitted bids to Seattle-based Amazon. So did Hickory, which boasts fiber-optic cable manufacturing and a huge Apple server farm nearby.
Barber's 'Poor People's Campaign' Set To Launch Near US-Mexico Border
Civil right leaders and immigrant rights advocates are launching near the U.S.-Mexico border a new national "poor people's campaign" modeled after Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.'s final crusade.
Rev. William J. Barber, II is scheduled Sunday to lead a community march and mass gathering in El Paso, Texas to begin the "Poor People's Campaign: A National Call for Moral Revival."
Barber is known for his role in organizing North Carolina's Moral Mondays and is a leading figure among religious liberals.
Blue Ridge Parkway Expects This Weekend To Be Busiest
Drivers seeking fall-colored leaves should expect this weekend to be the busiest on a scenic road that runs through the Appalachian Mountains from North Carolina to Virginia.
Blue Ridge Parkway spokeswoman Caitlin Worth tells the Asheville Citizen-Times the third week in October is traditionally the busiest.
Staff are also reminding drivers to keep watching the road. Worth says distracted driving is the main cause of crashes, especially during the fall.
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